What it actually is, and what it actually is not
by To.Elysium
Summary: Sasuke will, of course, deny it at first for to admit he had a moral weakness was to admit his imperfection. But then he realises all the things it could masquerade as. AU
1. It's insecurity

Let's get one thing straight. Like, absolutely clear. Irrefragably undeniable. Sasuke was not insecure.

Snobbish, yes. Arrogant, yes. Gorgeous, yes. But insecure? No.

Still...

At this moment...this precise moment... (because personalities weren't generated from horoscopes or environmental upbringing or genetic predisposition, but situational disposition)... he was having a hard time controlling a shockingly strong self-esteem crisis.

And the person that induced this horrible state of mind was his very own kind and gentle older brother.

Kind and gentle? Were those the words? No. no...more like a...deliberately ...provoking... older brother.

...or something

Because the current situation was one any sibling would find intolerable.

Because Itachi wasn't wearing a shirt or a t-shirt or a vest or anything made of any material out of all the god-damned materials in this god-damned world to cover his god-damned upper body. But it would make absolutely no sense to employ "god-damned" as a descriptive expletive when concerning the older Uchiha's body, for it was abundantly clear to any and all humans who possessed functioning eyes (and unfortunately for Sasuke at the moment, his family was blessed with the most superior optic genes known to geneticists) that Uchiha Itachi's body was very much blessed and very much endowed.

It wasn't only his shockingly attractive muscles either, it was his entire being. His silky chocolate brown hair that had a salon-like sheen to it, his haunting captivating eyes, his lithe neck and oh god, the collar bones, don't get me started on the collar bones! but ...there appears to be a digression. Anyway, suffice it to say whoever was responsible for the aesthetics of humans loved Itachi dearly. Probably loved itachi most in the entire world.

Intolerable situation, right?

And the thing was, it shouldn't have been the shock it was. But it was a titanic shock...perhaps the shock was more related to Sasuke's libido's raging approval of the sudden exposure to exquisite male physiology than the actual spectacle itself but let's skip over than unnecessary observation...adolescents were a strange group after all; prone to the most socially undesirable thoughts on occasion...it meant less than nothing. Yes, less than nothing. Sasuke liked that notion. He liked it so much he repeated it no less than fifteen times mentally.

The thing you must understand, as to _why_ Sasuke was briefly (approximately ten minutes) stupefied when he threw open Itachi's room door and barged in, is that Itachi is a very private person. He is also a very modest person. (and humble! my goodness you'd have to be the embodiment of humble to hide that lip-licking figure away from the world...) Ahem. In fact, he's so private and modest, Sasuke has never actually seen him shirtless before. Unlike Sasuke, who walks around with a half open or half unbuttoned shirt on a daily basis, whether he's at home or not.

When Itachi's body steps forward Sasuke's eyes remember there is a face attached and focuses its attention on the equally visually stimulating...er, stimulus.

Itachi is frowning slightly and seems sincerely worried.

"Sasuke? Are you alright?"

"..."

"Sasuke?"

Wait! He was thinking. True, normally this cognitive process didn't take so long, but clearly that was Itachi's fault. So he should just be patient while Sasuke tries to remember the reason he barged into Itachi's room in the first place. It was something important, wasn't it?

"SASUKE!"

Sasuke flinched at the booming yell that metaphorically slapped his senses back into him. And also, scared the shit out of him. That deep voice could only belong to...oh, shit.

"Father wants to speak to you."

"Father" seemed pretty pissed off when Sasuke with his damned luck ran into him and was ordered to immediately, with heavy emphasis on the word, summon his brother. Like Sasuke was the friggin' messenger boy of the family. But like the dutiful son he was he sprinted to Itachi's room fully intending to "immediately" inform Itachi of his requested presence but it seemed Sasuke didn't have the capabilities of an efficient messenger boy.

Itachi seemed momentarily blank, then slightly irritated.

"Is that all, Sasuke?"

Is that all? You say "is that all?" when informed that a meteor is about to crash into your house. You say "is that all?" when the apocalypse is tomorrow but you most certainly do not say "is that all" when an angry Fugaku wants something _immediately_ and you fail to provide said thing _immediately_.

"It seems pretty urgent." Fugaku's voice was still ringing in Sasuke's ears and he noticed it was _his _name being called. Itachi could probably get away with showing up a day later but Sasuke would take the heat for it.

"Sasuke," Itachi signed, sounding as though years of his life had been taken for no good reason. "I'm about to take a bath-"

There are no words to describe what strange things manifested in Sasuke's brain at those words. Sasuke himself with a team of esteemed neurobiologists/ psychologists working for years wouldn't be able to explain it.

"Tell him I will be there shortly."

But luckily those next words stopped short that peculiar phenomena and sent Sasuke into a panic mode instead.

"You want me to tell him to...wait?" he queried, incredulous.

Itachi made a soft sound of amusement at his brother's tone. "Strange though the notion might seem, Sasuke, I believe father is capable of such a thing."

"Do you?" Sasuke mocked back. "Because I don't think he can without committing filicide."

Itachi walked towards his bathroom door, smiling gently. "It's not so easy to kill me."

"Right. like he'll ever think of touching his precious prodigy. I was talking about me."

Itachi paused almost indiscernibly at the threshold of the door, then went in gracefully and closed the door behind him.

Sasuke was left in Itachi's room, clueless and a bit amazed like a Neanderthal who had just discovered the miracle of opposable thumbs. Sasuke most certainly would not like anyone bursting into his room, much less being left alone in his room. And Itachi was a very private person. Still, Sasuke was extremely grateful, he needed to hide from Fugaku till Itachi finally decided to grace him with his presence. And somehow there was this unspoken rule that his parents never went into Itachi's room. Sasuke seldom entered his room either.

He looked about the very neat, if a little bare, room. Sasuke noticed Itachi's black t-shirt on the bed. Was that the old t-shirt he was wearing ...or was it a new one placed on the bed to wear after a bath? It seemed to Sasuke a matter of paramount importance and Sasuke found himself picking it up and inhaling it to try and find the answer. It was fresh, it was new...but it was on Itachi's bed and it had a slight Itachi-esque scent to it.

Slightly questioning his sanity and strongly refusing to ponder the matter in detail he put on the t-shirt. It was slightly longer than it would perhaps be on Itachi, but still it fit well enough. Sasuke was ridiculously pleased with this. The t-shirt Sasuke had been wearing was basically the same as the one he now wore, except that was his and this was Itachi's. So it wouldn't really be noticeable if Sasuke replaced the two, right? Right. So Sasuke placed his t-shirt in exactly the same way Itachi's t-shirt had been placed on the bed.

There.

Now...what the hell was that?


	2. It's art

Disclaimer: Kishimoto Masashi is the genius that owns Naruto and all of its' marvelous characters.

For those of you who are interested in knowing exactly what Itachi looks like in this story go to Google and type in "Lily's Itachi." She is an immensely talented fan artist and I imagine the Itachi of this story to look exactly like that. That is why his hair is brown in this story, instead of the usual black.

:: :: ::

Okay, fine. So Sasuke will admit that maybe...just _maybe_.. it could be within the bounds of the human imagination that _perhaps_ he was a _bit_ insecure when he saw his brother's body, or to be more exact when he realized that Itachi's body was much hotter than Sasuke's...possibly! I mean it's _one_ way to look at the situation...

The situation where he is now on his back, panting and taking a breather from lifting a barbell and his whole body feels sore.

Signing he ran a frustrated hand over his eyes and settled the other one on his stomach.

"Oh, don't move, Sasuke-kun."

Indeed, Sasuke froze at the sound of that voice.

Urgh. Not him...

"You can relax your facial features, though. I want to get your crotch right."

Okay! Sasuke sat up to glare at the very unwelcome intruder.

Sai smiled insincerely at him and then continued to sketch Sasuke. "Mmm, perhaps this position is better? It looks like you actually have genitals now."

Sasuke in his usual calm, tactful way of showing his displeasure threw a nearby dumbbell at Sai, who looked up, poor fellow, smile still pathetically in place and received a very painful blow to the head. The weights didn't actually hit him, just the handle; still Sasuke felt they should at least give him a concussion. As he comically tipped over the bench he was crouched on, the sketchbook flew out of his hands and was caught by Sasuke.

He was surprised to see a really good portrait of him. It was still rough, but it definitely resembled Sasuke. Even the expression on his face was very well done. Tired, a little glassy eyed far off look to his eyes, he had even managed to effectively convey panting through Sasuke's open mouth. And there were some rough shadings of Itachi's t-shirt. ... Because...for some reason, Sasuke had worn Itachi's t-shirt to the gym. But it was fine. They were identical after all. Itachi wouldn't notice.

Sasuke looked up to see Sai nursing his forehead.

"I'm bleeding, Sasuke-kun." he said quite calmly as if Sasuke hadn't just mauled him with a heavy piece of workout equipment.

"You came to the gym with your sketchbook?"

"There are plenty of male models for me here in interesting positions."

Okay, that sounds really weird.

"How long were you sitting there, just drawing me?"

Sai ignored him, choosing instead to rub his forehead gingerly. "I might have gotten a concussion."

Good, he was hoping for that. "I doubt your brain can be damaged any further. Do you do this often?" Sasuke asked carelessly flipping the pages in the sketchbook to see that yes, in fact, Sai did do this quite often.

"That's the gym portfolio."

"Excuse me?"

"The sketches I made of people in the gym. There's one for swimming and one for dancing and one for martial arts."

"…Okay."

"Would you mind lying on your back so I can do your lower body?"

Contextually, there was nothing wrong with that statement, but somehow Sasuke got the feeling that Sai was deliberately putting things across in a way that misleads.

"Yes. Find someone else," he said brusquely, throwing the sketch book back at Sai, who caught it with a blank expression.

"Once there was this hulking man who came here," Sai said abruptly and Sasuke looked up in surprise at the sudden topic change. "He had a friend with him who looked just like you, Sasuke-kun. Except his hair was much longer and it was brown instead of your bluish black." He paused suddenly and then signed dramatically but still retained his black facial expression. "He was gorgeous. But he didn't stay long enough for me to draw him."

Sasuke glared at Sai furiously, knowing instinctually that it was Itachi. Who else looked like him and had long brown hair? Except for his mother.

"It would be wonderful if I could draw him. He had a certain presence…I wonder if I can convey that in the drawing?"

And it had to be Itachi (he had said gorgeous) the hulking man was most probably Kisame. Sasuke knew that Kisame came to this gym often.

"His eyes were mesmerizing. He had such long eyelashes for a man. And they were an alluring shape as well. Like a feline's eyes. Come-hither, should I say?"

See…Sai said Itachi was gorgeous. And though it pissed the hell out of Sasuke, Sai didn't seem to be uncomfortable describing Itachi like that.

"I wish he had stayed for longer and I don't even know if he will come back again, I don't see him here at all except for that one time... but he must work out."

So Sasuke didn't need to feel uncomfortable thinking Itachi was gorgeous. He didn't need to feel uncomfortable that he thought Itachi would look even better, if possible, drenched in water, with his long hair loose and water droplets tracing a seductive pathway down his…

"After all, his muscles were excellent. I have never seen such masculine beauty, even though his face is extremely feminine, but his upper body was…."

Sasuke snapped out of his reverie, shocked by his thoughts and of course since he didn't know what to do about it, he decided to take it out on Sai. Unfortunately the barbell was too heavy to throw so Sasuke threw the only other thing close by; his gym towel.

"He wouldn't!" Sasuke hissed. No, hadn't he established that it was insecurity? That's right, Sasuke was just mad that Sai wasn't saying…these things …about…him.

As he looked up at the increasingly creepy and unchanging smile Sai was giving him as he removed Sasuke's towel from his face, Sasuke just couldn't bring himself to believe that falsification.

"Of course he wouldn't Sasuke-kun." Sai smiled.

"He—wouldn't…what?"

"I'm not sure. I read that one should placate temperamental people. If you would like, I can recommend some anger management books and self-help for the psychotic?"

Screw it. Sasuke would risk hernia, it would be worth it to hurl that barbell in his freaky face and that weirdo had the balls to advise that _he_ get help? Sasuke was not temperamental. He was perfectly in control of his emotions. Now, what would be the best way to throw this barbell and make it look like an accident?

"Or you can attempt drawing."

At which brilliant suggestion was met with Sasuke's most scornful WTF look.

"It is a wonderful way to express oneself and let out pent-up emotions."

Sasuke thought he could pretty much guess just what sort of pent-up emotions Sai was letting out by stalking gym-goers and sketching their sweaty bodies.

"Just slathering paint on an empty canvas feels good. Or so I read. I have never done such a thing. But I don't think you have the patience for portraits. You would have to keenly observe and accurately copy features that make an individual characteristic…"

Hang on now…

Here it is…better than insecurity. Insecurity didn't even suit Sasuke, after all. This was better…. Yes…much better.

"Sasuke-kun? Your smile is freaking me out."

Says the queen of all unholy smiles.

Whatever. Sasuke was in good mood now, so he would deign to ignore the half-dressed whack job.

"Sai…who can I speak to about a place in the art...department…section, class, whatever?"

Okay, so this didn't suit Sasuke either. And truthfully Sai was right. He had no patience for portraits, hell he had no patience for old crippled lady's walking in front of him, and he was pretty sure he had no talent for it either…still… he supposed he could find it within himself to find patience to sit and stare at Itachi's body in all its' gloriousness…Of course…to draw. There is no other reason, no ulterior motives…this was for Sasuke's newfound love of Art and all the requirements of observation it entails. It was…professional.

Academic, even.

Sasuke looked up and jumped at the sudden proximity of Sai who looked blankly at him.

"You want to join?" Sai said, his voice surprisingly weak. "That's surprising." He didn't look surprised at all. He looked a bit disoriented, if anything. "But I suppose anyone can want to try. Its loads of fun, if you get a willing gorgeous guy like the one I told you about. Welcome…to the…club"

And Sai fainted.

Into Sasuke's lap.

Sasuke looked down, momentarily shocked. What the hell is _wrong_ with this guy? Just when he was about to shove the lunatic off him, a malevolent chuckle made Sasuke swivel around to see…oh dear god, no.

"Well, well, looks like I have an interesting story to tell Itachi today, eh?" Kisame grinned toothily as Sasuke roughly shoved Sai off him.

"Hmm? What's with him?" Kisame said in reference to Sai, sprawled out on the floor.

Sasuke signed bitterly. "Concussion, probably."

The two heartless males ignored the poor misunderstood artist on the floor.

"So," Kisame gleefully continued, ignoring Sasuke's glare which didn't have nearly the same effect that Itachi's did although that may be because Itachi was a good head taller than Sasuke and he had never seen Itachi with a head in his crotch. "Just what is it that you want to try with a willing gorgeous guy?"

Sasuke signed again. He should have gone to a less-known more obscure gym.

.

.

.

"I'm sorry, what?" Itachi enquired politely.

Sasuke tapped Sai's sketchbook against his hip and repeated. "For an assignment, I'm supposed to draw a detailed sketch of a guy. Could you be my model?"

Actually, there was no such assignment. Sasuke hadn't even joined the art…society…or whatever they call their club yet, but he was so impatient to start that after he dropped Sai off at a nearby hospital he stole his sketchbook to draw Itachi later that evening.

Itachi looked at him, politely perplexed a moment longer then… "I didn't know you took art?"

"It's a recent..er, development."

"Is that so?" Itachi asked, seemingly rhetorically, as he looked at Sasuke sweepingly as if scanning for the truth.

Then he shook his head. "I'm sorry, Sasuke, but I'm really busy today and probably will be for the next fortnight or so. Why don't you ask father?"

Sasuke scoffed. "Because I don't want to draw him. Besides, you can work, I'll just do some rough sketches. It won't be a bother, really."

Itachi smiled gently. "You are never a bother, Sasuke but won't it affect your work if I don't keep still?"

Itachi could turn into a statue and that couldn't possibly improve Sasuke's level of atrocity when it came to drawing. He had figured he might as well try it before hand and the results were… good, if he were a two year old attempting to draw his first stick figures. But it didn't matter, he still had Sai's sketch of him, he just altered the hair on that and added two light tear troughs and viola! It was Itachi. So he had a picture to show at the end of their little session provided he was asked to. However, he still had to change his expression a bit because no matter how much Sasuke desired it, Itachi would most likely not be persuaded to adorn a panting tired expression that, after Sasuke changed the hair and visualized it as Itachi, seemed to him like a post-orgasm expression. Sasuke had stared at the picture that was him only a while ago and was now his brother and had gotten embarrassingly horny. After chastising himself fiercely he gave his conscious a break by justifying that he had read somewhere that all art was erotic. Then he realized he sounded like Sai. Then after further furious berating of self, he decided to leave that picture alone for now and go stare at Itachi to his hearts' content…for the glorious cause of art, of course.

"No, it won't." Sasuke said pompously. He didn't plan on drawing anything anyway.

"Then…" Itachi gestured for Sasuke to follow him to his room.

And so it began. Itachi worked at his desk while Sasuke sat a bit away from him to give him his space but close enough to properly observe. Itachi's desk was the only thing in his room that was not neat. It was filled with papers and files and folders, all looking important, difficult to comprehend and boring.

As Itachi read a file, Sasuke pretended to work himself, drawing simple strokes up and down. Initially he tried; he really did, because Itachi deserved a picture that did him justice. But that nice intention went to hell in a hand basket. Sasuke really wasn't good at this. But it didn't matter. He was thoroughly enjoying himself just watching Itachi.

Every expression that flitted across Itachi's face, a serious frown or a contemplative gaze was greedily sucked in by Sasuke. As Itachi read Sasuke watched his beautiful eyelashes skim his cheeks and wondered what it would feel like to touch them. And then he would make chicken scratches on his (Sai's) sketchbook and appear diligent too.

He looked at his brother, working hard and suddenly wanted to hug him. He was a very dutiful son, Sasuke knew all this workload at such a young age was all Fugaku's fault. Not that their father meant to be a slave driver, he just expected Itachi to be able to handle anything with ease.

"Itachi," Sasuke said slowly folding the cover back on the bended art book. "When did you last have a vacation?"

Itachi looked up from his work at Sasuke and considered. "I suppose it was that time when you were seven and we went to our hot spring resort."

Right. Itachi was eleven at the time. It was a trip to celebrate Itachi's double promotion but it might as well have been a vacation to commemorate the last time Itachi was free, or the last time he was a child. Work got hectic after that, Itachi managed superbly, but had much less free time for anyone, even Sasuke. Sasuke would always come to his room begging to play with him or watch a movie but Itachi would only smile sadly and say "Sorry, Sasuke, another time." At first, Itachi would immediately abandon his work when he heard Sasuke's shuffling footsteps but then Sasuke got scolded every single time his father found them playing together when he expected Itachi to be hard at work.

That trip had been wonderful. It was the Uchiha's private resort, so it was delightfully secluded and the place had such a fresh atmosphere in the morning and at night, it turned ethereal. Sasuke wanted to go. He wanted to go with Itachi. Alone, just the two of them.

Sasuke licked his lips nervously. "When…When you're done with work…this assignment you have right now, would you…I mean, shall we go again?"

Itachi stared at Sasuke.

Sasuke looked back determinedly but Itachi continued to look at him as though expectant of the punch line. Sasuke smiled and leaned forward to poke Itachi in the forehead, like he always did to Sasuke when they were young.

Itachi laughed gently at that and Sasuke's pulse got a bit erratic for a while there. It was such a beautiful sound, made all the more precious because it was so rare. The thought of spending time alone with him was like getting a golden ticket to heaven.

"I would love that, Sasuke. But," he signed.

"It doesn't have to be now. How about next weekend? Just," Sasuke emphasized, to be doubly sure "Just the two of us, okay?"

Itachi graced Sasuke with a loving smile. "I'll make time for that. Thank you for asking me, Sasuke."

Sasuke was ready to burst with happiness! Itachi had agreed to spend an entire weekend with him alone after god knows how long!

But he just smiled back and told Itachi that was enough drawing for him today. Strangely Itachi did not ask to see the picture but gave a knowing smile that had Sasuke do a double take but it was gone. His imagination, perhaps?

When Sasuke was at the door Itachi called.

He turned back to see his brother looking shockingly sexy leaning against his seat, looking back over his shoulder and smirking in a should-be-illegal-because-its'-so-titillating way.

"After you're done with my black t-shirt Sasuke, could I have it back? It's my favorite."

.

.

.

TBC


	3. Its psychology

Sorry for not updating sooner. I was preoccupied with my other fic. But here it is…hope you enjoy!

:: :: :: ::

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke didn't really hear; too absorbed in what he was reading to notice a presence trying in vain to attract his attention.

_Inbreeding (endogamous) or straightforward incest is the norm in many life forms, even among primates. It was also quite common until recently in certain human societies: The Hindus, for instance or many Native American tribes and royal families everywhere. In the Ptolemaic dynasty, blood relatives married routinely. Cleopatra's first husband was her thirteen year old brother Ptolemy XIII._

_Nor is the taboo universal. In some societies, incest is mandatory or prohibited, according to the social class. (Bali, Papua New Guinea, Polenysian and Melanesian islands) In others, The Royal house started a tradition of incestuous marriages, which was later imitated by lower classes. (Ancient Egypt, Hawaii) Some societies are more tolerant of consensual incest that others. (Japan, India until the 1930's, Australia)_

"Sasuke."

_The more primitive and aggressive the society, the more strict and elaborate the set of incest prohibitions and the fiercer the penalties for their violation. The reason may be economic. Incest interferes with rigid algorithms of inheritance in conditions of extreme scarcity (for instance, of land and water) and consequentially leads to survival threatening internecine disputes._

_Freud said that incest provokes horror because it touches upon our forbidden, ambivalent emotions towards member of our close family. This ambivalence covers both aggression towards other members and sexual attraction to them. _

_However he fails to cover the fact that the incest taboo is one which is learned not inherent._

A quiet but patient sign sounded and a warm and gentle (and large) hand (with beautiful slender fingers) was placed on his shoulder.

Sasuke looked up as if just realizing he was here and there was a moving world beyond the book he was so wrapped up in.

Itachi looked down at him with a slightly amused but exasperated expression. "Sorry to disturb you when you're so engaged, Sasuke-"

Sasuke flinched and snapped the book shut. "I wasn't!"

Itachi looked to the side and then back at his flustered little brother. "You have a call from Naruto but I'm not sure if he is still holding...it took me a while to attract your attention."

Sasuke looked back at the desk to hide his flush. "How long were you standing there?"

"It really doesn't matter but as I said, Naruto is waiting for you to take his call-"

Sasuke looked back at the book and wished the title was not so triumphantly emblazoned in silver capitals as if it conspiring against Sasuke and that it was in a language that Itachi was not fluent in, whatever language that might be.

"It's...for a psychology assignment."

Itachi tilted his head to the side by an inch and a strand of his bangs brushed against his cat-like eye. (Sasuke wanted to brush it away)

Politely ignoring the fact that this was information he had not asked for, Itachi smiled as if in complete understanding. "You seem to be changing subject choices a lot lately. It's understandable at this age to have difficulty figuring out your preferences."

That was the understatement of the century. Because nothing was more difficult that figuring out your preference tends towards not only the homosexual orientation but apparently...the incestuous orientation as well.

Itachi glanced at the title of the book; _Ethical Relativism and Absolute Taboos; Incest, Suicide and Race._

"Is this an independent assignment?"

Well, there was just no way Sasuke could admit that it was not only independent; it was personal and had nothing whatsoever to do with his school work.

"...No."

Itachi smirked. "Interesting curriculum," he muttered. "Remind me again, Sasuke, which examination board decrees your course specification?"

Sasuke thought frantically. Whatever board he mentioned, if Itachi were to look up such information, there would be no mention of such a book or such an assignment. Itachi wouldn't put such effort into such a random thing, right? After all, he was already swamped with work.

"Um...well, I forget the name..." Sasuke trailed off and looked all around his room at inanimate objects.

"Do you need me as a test subject again?"

Sasuke looked up with wide eyes. What was that? He must have misheard. Or he must have misunderstood. Or...Itachi didn't say that at all. And if he did say that, he was just being helpful...like he was when he agreed to be Sasuke's model. Except that didn't go so well. Sasuke had managed to keep himself in control the first few times but then it got significantly harder. It was extremely difficult, when looking at the incarnation of sex, to keep certain parts of his anatomy in a flaccid state. He had to excuse himself at regular intervals and Sasuke decided to just quit before Itachi thought he had a bladder problem since most of his excuses included his bowels.

That and Sai, carefree and expressionless as you please had shown up at his doorstep and impertinently (thought Sasuke) asked for his sketchbook back. Sasuke heard Itachi coming down the stairs at that moment and strange scenarios of Sai falling in love with and thereafter stalking his elder brother manifested in Sasuke's mind and he slammed the door in Sai's face, ran to get the damn book, opened the door, threw it in the bewildered boy's face and slammed the door once more.

Itachi looked at his spaced out brother with a worried frown. "Sasuke?"

But until then the sessions had been blissful and each time, Sasuke was struck with his brother's inhuman beauty. Itachi was actually quite effeminate; his eyelashes were unfairly thick for a male and his chin was more angular than broad. And then of course, there was his hair; lush and long and the most delectable chocolate brown color.

Delectable?

What the hell was he thinking?

No. There was nothing wrong with it; it was nothing but an artistic observation, no more no less. He was just describing it in that over the top sensationalist way that artists seemed to have. That's it.

That. is. all.

And as for his reading material...there was nothing...let's repeat that, shall we...just to enforce the truth behind that statement..._nothing _incriminating about it. It was simply learning more about the wonderful branch of science that is so applicable to everyday life; psychology.

Psychology, Sasuke found, was a subject that if handled objectively was wonderfully open-minded. It was liberating, actually to think in such free spirited terms. If the broader spectrum of things were relative to culture and society then Sasuke could simply consider himself non-conformist.

Non-conformist...regarding what?

Well...possibly the inappropriate reactions...the dreams Freud would have a field day with...

It didn't matter. It was just psychology. It was science. It was empiric.

That's right. It was art. And...apparently it was science as well.

Sasuke was a renaissance man.

And Itachi was simply helping Sasuke in his noble pursuits. That was what it was. Yes.

Itachi was just platonically and helpfully offering his assistance because that's what Itachi did; he loved to help Sasuke.

Did he really say...?

But then Itachi might not even know what he was offering...assuming he hadn't read the book or rather, the specific page Sasuke was pouring over.

Right. That is settled. Itachi was offering with no possible ulterior motives or implied propositions, to help Sasuke with his school work, because that's what siblings did.

Because they were _siblings_. That's right. Siblings. More than that, they were brothers. Two Males who were related.

Sasuke was brought back to the world when Itachi flicked him, quite playfully, on the forehead.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke breathed in as imperceptibly as possible, steeling himself for whatever other offers Itachi was going to provide.

"Naruto is on the line, waiting for you to pick up." Itachi said, emphasizing his words in a way that displeased Sasuke, as if he were slow on the up-take or something.

Sasuke got up confidently and sniffed, "I heard you the first time, Itachi."

He left his room to get the phone, wondering why the moron wouldn't just call him on his cell. Taking out his cell from his pocket, he realized he had accidentally switched it to silent and there were a number of missed calls on it.

He picked up their home phone but was met with a dead line. Naruto had already hung up.

Oh, well. It probably wasn't worth his time, anyway. He would call his moron of a best friend later.

He made his way into the kitchen to get a glass of ice water. He looked at the calendar on their refrigerator door and counted the days remaining till he gets to leave with Itachi to their private resort.

Only three more days.

Sasuke smiled to himself, filled with a childish excitement.

He didn't see Itachi pass by the kitchen or notice that after Itachi observed Sasuke's perusal of the calendar and his badly contained excitement, he gave a small secret smile of his own before continuing on his way.

.

.

.

TBC


End file.
